November 18, 2009

Just CHILL: Free or Holland

The Cowboys are going with Doug Free to replace Marc Colombo at right tackle.

But the question is not a simple one.

The Cowboys are going to miss Colombo. He wasn't the best offensive lineman on the team but he was solid and he played with the most intensity. The latter can't be understated.

Now as the Cowboys labored over what to do in his absence, the question was simply who is a better fit?

The inexperienced Doug Free at right tackle or the experienced but limited Montrae Holland at right guard with Leonard Davis moving from guard to tackle. It's a given that Davis is a better fit at tackle than Free.

But is the Davis and Holland tackle-guard combo better than the Free and Davis tackle-guard combo?

The talk of disrupting two positions rather than one is a non issue because this should be considered a long-term move. Colombo is out for six weeks and possibly the rest of the season, not just a few games. So the Cowboys need to make the right decision and one that's going to take hold for the rest of the season.

The Cowboys should also dismiss the notion that they should play Free just because they drafted him and should trust him. They also acquired Holland in a trade. Should they trust that move as well?

The decision should be based on whoever is best for the team. How they got here shouldn't matter.

Considering how important the tackle position is, I would go with the Davis-Holland combo. You can hide a guard but you can't hide a tackle. If the Cowboys were confident and/or comfortable with Free doing job it wouldn't have been a question in the first place.

Well, if you have questions, then go with what you know.

After all, you have invested too much money in franchise quarterback Tony Romo to take any chances with his health.

Again, the Cowboys are going with Free and it might work. It’s their point of view that he has the most potential and they need to find out if he can do the job. They can always move Davis outside if he struggles.

They should try Free in the next two games. Skins and Raiders are offense challenge teams. Their offense should not score a lot. Their defenses are OK. Dallas can afford to be careful on offense with Free at tackle to see if he is playing well. If he struggles, then after these two games, they can change during the ten days before Giants game. Adams does not have too many years left. They need to find out if Free can play.